title: Therapies currently in Phase II trials for malignant pleural mesothelioma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) is an aggressive cancer associated with asbestos exposure, whose incidence will peak within the next years. Despite an overall low response rate, the current first-line therapy is represented by combined chemotherapy with cisplatin and antifolate. Moreover, there are no currently approved regimens for relapsed or refractory MPM. Therefore, it is clear how both preclinical and clinical researches aimed at identifying new therapeutic targets and testing them in early clinical settings are badly needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The aim of this review is to summarize and critically comment the ongoing Phase II trials for MPM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Over the past few years, there has been a significant endeavor of addressing the clinical research for MPM beyond the very modest results of chemotherapy. Nonetheless, our understanding is that the treatment of MPM should not be merely 'copied' from that of other much better studied tumors. In the light of recent results, studies toward the metabolic characteristics of this tumor are being progressively addressed. These evidences are disclosing a rather unusual model of malignancy, very likely to be more sensitive to novel 'MPM cells- and microenvironment-tailored' therapy addressing these characteristics rather than the sole cancer proliferation.
authors.affiliation: University of Piemonte Orientale 'A. Avogadro', Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences , L.go Donegani 2, 28100 Novara , Italy +39 0321 375820 ; +39 0321 375821 ; moro@pharm.unipmn.it.
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pinton
authors.forename: Arcangela Gabriella
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Manente
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tavian
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moro
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mutti
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017322:Clinical Trials, Phase II as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008654:Mesothelioma / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000086002:Mesothelioma, Malignant; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents